Fellow of the Week – Joey Nguyen

Joey is serving his first year with us at the Quincy Asian Resources Inc.

What inspires you to serve?

Understanding that I have certain privileges earned and bestowed before me, and wanting to make sure I put it to good use to empower the youth population that don’t have as much and shape them into the leaders they themselves might not necessarily be aware of. I also want to train young leaders of privileged backgrounds, to become better allies, advocates, and resources for those they might unintentionally marginalize.

What social justice issue are you most passionate about and why?

There are multitudes of them that I feel strongly about, but recognizing that there are more gravity, weight, and negative impact to certain groups than others, and they should be addressed both with depth and breadth with that in mind.

Why would you encourage others to join the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship?

MPF has provided myself and others a strong platform to develop not only their practical skills, but the safe environment to put into practice the sense social change that we all individually want for our society. We get to see our individual organizations and how they function, and at the same time, are provided a safe and productive space on how to approach obstacles, challenges, and navigate through different work sub-culture.

Who has been your biggest support this year?

Different people have provided me with different forms of support, so I can’t just name one. Lauren Currie, has been incredibly helpful in advocating for my MPF logistical needs, and Ashley HP has been an awesome advisory group Goddess, and providing myself an ear to express different group dynamic issues. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have Ying Ge, as a fellow employee, MP Fellow, and above an incredible friend to have in our small, but effective, 4 person department.

Describe the greatest adventure of your life.

Flying out of the country for the first time, and arriving in China, where I presented in front of an audience of over 2500 educators and policy makers, and watching the entire audience burst into tears as the educational video product was playing, and then a thunderous applause after I was done.

What do you do to practice self-care?

I guess embarrassingly enough, I tinker with my equipment for fun.

What benefits have you been able to take advantage of as a Massachusetts Promise

Fellow and how has your experience been with those benefits?

The supportive atmosphere is what I came for in the first place, and MPF delivered ten fold. I know that there are many other benefits, but intangibly the benefit of a team and network is all I could ask for.

How is MPF preparing you for your future career aspirations?

The pure luck and chance of stumbling upon the people I have met and work with that have been leading to more opportunities to work and lead has given me new hope as to how I can make my next steps in my career. I want to make an impact in society, and I am letting the threads of fate to get me there.